The SPLM-IO in South Sudan has suspended its role in the peace process due to worsening relations with President Kiir and the detention of party officials. Fighting in Nasir has led to mass displacement, and concerns over hate speech and ethnic conflict rise amid the backdrop of regional instability due to the Sudan conflict.
A significant faction in South Sudan’s coalition government has announced the suspension of its involvement in key components of the 2018 peace agreement, attributed to deteriorating relations between leader Riek Machar and President Salva Kiir. This agreement had initially concluded a five-year civil war between their opposing forces. Recently, tensions escalated due to clashes in eastern South Sudan, straining their already troubled alliance.
The recent detention of several key SPLM-IO officials, including the petroleum minister, by government security forces has exacerbated these tensions. These detentions followed military actions by the White Army militia, aligned with Machar’s followers, in the town of Nasir. The government has accused the SPLM-IO of colluding with this militia, while the party firmly denies these claims.
Oyet Nathaniel Pierino, deputy chairman of the SPLM-IO, stated the party would cease participation in security arrangements related to the peace process until the detained officials are released, highlighting that ongoing political persecution threatens the peace deal’s integrity. Moreover, fighting near Nasir has displaced around 50,000 individuals since late February, with a portion seeking refuge in Ethiopia.
Concerns over a potential return to civil war are mounting, as Nicholas Haysom, head of the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, noted an uptick in hate speech and misinformation potentially instigating ethnic conflict. Added to this is the influence of the ongoing war in neighboring Sudan, which analysts believe is contributing to the fragile situation by disrupting the peace process and affecting oil revenues.
Alan Boswell from the International Crisis Group warned of spillover effects from the Sudan conflict into South Sudan, cautioning that it could extend tensions to the capital, Juba.
The SPLM-IO’s partial withdrawal from the peace process highlights the fragile state of South Sudan’s political landscape, intensified by recent arrests and escalating violence. Key officials detained amid accusations of ties to militias threaten the peace agreement’s viability. With rising ethnic tensions and external conflicts, the risk of renewed violence continues to loom over the region, necessitating urgent attention to possible diplomatic interventions.
Original Source: www.thestar.com.my
